Unit 2: Cornell-D

“What Progressive reforms addressed economic

problems and were they successful ?”

“What Progressive reforms addressed economic problems and were they

successful ?”

Exploitation of Workers Child Labor

Labor Strikes

Unfair treatment of Women Workers

Monopolies & Trusts Railroad Monopolies

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working CONDITIONS, no benefits

Economic Reformers:

Upton Sinclair, (Muckraker)

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

The Jungle – a novel based on the dirtiest food industry in America: MEAT packing

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Sam Gompers,

Am.

Federation of Labor

union leader

Mary Harris Jones,

“Mother Jones” – union leader

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Eugene Debs, American Railway

Union –Also, Socialist

candidate for Pres. in 1912

“Big Bill” Haywood IWWIndustrial Workers

of the World “the Wobblies” –

most radical union

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Solutions:1. Organize UNIONS! … for decent PAY & conditions could mean STRIKES =

the refusal to WORK…

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Before and after unions organized:1890 1915

Weekly Wages: $17.40 $24

Weekly Hours: 54.5 hrs/wk.49 hrs/wk.

Members in Unions 400,000 1,500,000

(1904)

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Unions successful reforms?Y/N ?“YES & NO”

Business managers refuse to RECOGNIZE or negotiate with UNIONS

Unions Successful Reforms ?“Yes & No”

Sometimes, public FEARS VIOLENCE of STRIKES, and that unions might lead to a

SOCIALIST

REVOLUTION like Russia (BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION of 1917)

Unions Successful Reforms ?“Yes & No”

Often, Business managers would stop STRIKES with LEGAL action.

They argued that STRIKES interfere with inter-STATE commerce (trade)

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Solution: 2. ARBITRATION =

both sides in a STRIKE negotiate/w aMEDIATOR

1st Arbitrated strike in USA:1903 COAL STRIKET.ROOSEVELT said COAL is Public INTEREST so GOVERNMENT should settle the STRIKE with ARBITRATION – the government will be the MEDIATOR

Exploitation of Workers – Low Pay, Bad working conditions, no benefits

Successful reform?Y/N ?“YES” Arbitration is used to settle SOME

strikes – but its not always usedT.R. 1st Pres. to arbitrate a strike for the

Public I________?Interest

Problem: Child Labor

Progressive Reformers:

Jane Addams

Florence Kelley

Mary Harris Jones

Problem: Child Labor

Solution:

1. NATIONAL reform is tried KEATING-OWENS Act=this law prohibited theTRANSPORTATION of goods made by children

Successful ?Y/N ?“NO”Supreme Court said the law UNCONSTITUTIONAL

because it restricted TRADE (interstate commerce)

Problem: Child Labor

Solution:

2. STATE reforms state laws ban child labor and make MANDATORYSCHOOL laws that take most kids out of jobs

Also, HOURS are limited for minors/children who do work.

Successful ?Y/N ?“YES”By 1920 the number of children

working is cut by½ (50%)

Women Labors—long hours

Solution:

STATE laws limit working HOURS for women (to 10 hrs/day)

Big business fights back in court saying Oregon’s law is unconstitutional

Unfair treatment of Women Workers

Successful reform?Y/N ?“YES”1908 OREGON v. MUELLERSupreme Court caseSays that protecting young women is a PUBLIC INTEREST(for healthy MOTHERS and families)

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Progressive Reformers:

Pres. Teddy Roosevelt

Pres. Woodrow Wilson

Problem: Unfair elimination of c________ by

monopoly businesses

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Solution:

1. Sue “BAD” trusts with theSHERMAN ANTI-TRUST Act=any corporation that harms the Public INTERESTBut – T.R. still wants Big Business for an INDUSTRIAL

America (so, some big industries are OK !)

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Sherman Anti-trust Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES & NO”T.R. broke-up only a FEW trusts T.R. preferred to REGULATE not ELIMINATE big industriesHe was not as big of a “Trust-Buster” as the media

made of him

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Solution:2. REGULATION =

laws to stop “BAD” or UNFAIR behavior of business

1906: Meat INSPECTION Act Pure FOOD & DRUGS Act

These are examples of “regulatory laws”

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”REGULARTORY laws required strict RULES,

INSPECTION and LABELING on productsto protect consumers

(prop 37—2012)

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

T.R. supports Populist goal REGULATE the RR’sCongress passes theINTERSTATE COMMERCE Act Creates the INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION (ICC)To stop RR’s from fixing high prices to charge

farmers/consumers

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”The ICC had LIMITED powers to ENFORCE the law –

but,The COMMISSION did help farmers and consumers

against RR monopolies

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Solution:3. Wilson’s CLAYTON ANTI-TRUST Act of 1914 is

stronger than the – SHERMAN Anti-trust law

And it saidUNIONS had right to ORGANIZE

(creates the Fed. TRADE COMMISSION, too)

Problem: Monopolies & Trusts

Clayton Anti-Trust Act Successful reform ?Y/N ?“YES”Over 400 “cease & desist” orders were issued to

stop unfair business activities